The wait for the Lithuanian national football team supporters is over. Today marks the beginning of a new cycle of qualifiers for the European Championship. The qualifying group matches, in which England, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Estonia will also participate, will start with Lithuania playing away against the team with the lowest expectations - San Marino representatives.
Slippery pitch
On Sunday evening, the Lithuanian football players spent over half an hour driving on winding roads to the town of Seravale, where they tested the stadium pitch.
"The pitch was somewhat specific, even with metal 'teeth', it was slippery," shared defender Georgas Freidgeimas. "However, it wasn't a surprise, as analyzing the previous matches against San Marino, our coaches noticed that the players were slipping."
According to G. Freidgeimas, the national team is preparing for the match responsibly, as they would against any other opponent: "We will approach the pitch just as we would against the English or Swiss. We need to play with maximum focus. An early goal would certainly make the match easier. We are the favorites, but only on paper. We have to prove it on the pitch."
Previous encounters
The Lithuanian and San Marino national teams met during the World Cup qualifiers in 2004. At that time, Lithuania secured a convincing 4-0 victory in Kaunas in September, while a single goal by Deividas Cesnauskis decided the 1-0 win away in November.
In total, the national teams of the two countries in various age groups have faced each other seven times. Lithuanians won six matches, while one ended in a draw. However, four victories ended with minimal results. Last year, in the European U-21 Championship qualifiers, Lithuania's youth team defeated San Marino 1-0.
Youth surprises
San Marino's national team cannot boast any victories in the European Championship qualifiers, but among the memorable results is the 1-1 draw with Latvia in 2001.
This year, Pierangelo Manzaroli took charge of the team, who shone as the coach of the San Marino U-21 team. Together with the Lithuanians in the qualifying group, the underdogs sensationally defeated the Welsh team 1-0.
According to team captain Tadas Kijanskas, the progress of the smaller countries' teams makes it challenging: "But the guys came here to think only about victory because any other result would not satisfy us or the supporters. We want to start the qualifying cycle well."
Changes in the calendar
The match day - Monday - is unusual for the Lithuanian team. Previously, qualifying matches were usually played on Tuesdays and Saturdays, then moved back to Monday and Saturday.
This qualifying cycle is unique in that the European football association (UEFA) has centralized the organization of the matches and introduced the concept of "Football Week". According to this concept, the qualifying matches will be played on all days of the week, except for Tuesday. Match start times are also standardized - matches will take place at 7 pm and 9:45 pm.
Updates on the calendar
The requirements for match organization have increased, especially regarding television broadcasts and media coverage. Many smaller countries had to improve their infrastructure, including San Marino, which with UEFA and FIFA support, set up new lighting, an administrative building with spacious dressing rooms, conference halls, media workplaces, and other facilities for the match participants.
The renovated "San Marino" stadium (formerly Olympic Serravalle) opened its doors on September 2nd, so the match against Lithuania will be the first test there. However, it is unlikely to reach the capacity of 7,000 spectators at the stadium - on average, the San Marino national team games are attended by far fewer fans.
About sixty supporters are expected to travel from Lithuania. But those who want to explore the center of San Marino's capital may be disappointed - it is located on Mount Titan, about 11 kilometers away.
The match will be officiated by a team of referees from the Czech Republic, with 38-year-old Libor Kovarzikas as the pitch referee. Kick-off is at 9:45 pm Lithuanian time. The match will be broadcast live on LRT television.
LFF
